This invention relates to emergency call systems, and more particularly, this invention relates to emergency call systems that monitor multiple resident apartments.
The senior living industry is rapidly growing and the need for advanced technology in communications, safety, and security systems is mandatory in order to maintain, track and respond to alarm signals, including smoke warnings, common area emergency alarms, door alarms, pendant alarms actuated by a resident, and other security and alarm features common in the senior living industry. Various prior art systems have been used in this industry, including direct connect, i.e., hard-wired systems, wireless systems, and telephone systems. For example, a direct connect (hard-wired) system allows reliable integration with dedicated wiring to provide reliability. Fixed location devices located within each resident apartment of a retirement property can initiate a call. An example would be an intercom. Smoke detectors can be used and emergency call stations, such as those having a pull cord, a check-in station, a door switch, corridor speaker, security screen, and/or other hard-wired devices as known to those skilled in the art are commonly used in direct connect systems. A drawback of a hard-wired system is the requirement of a dedicated hard-wired physical cable or line, and the expense associated with a direct copper connection or other similar communications line connection.
A wireless system, on the other hand, offers the advantage such that a dedicated copper line or other hard-wired communications line is not required. Wireless systems are typically easy to install and include personal transmitters, such as wireless pendants worn about the neck of a user, which can be user actuated by a resident to generate an alarm signal to a wireless receiver. A wireless station, such as a check-in station or emergency call station, also can be used. These devices allow a user to pull an emergency cord or line for generating a wireless alarm signal to the wireless receiver. The alarm signal can be coded for origin and identification of a resident. Wireless receivers receive the alarm signal and forward the alarm signal as an electrical communication alarm signal to a central console. One drawback of a wireless system is the lack of perfect coverage in any building and the added requirement that most residents must wear a pendant or other type of personal transmitter at all times.
Another type of system uses a standard telephone or similar device to provide a telephone system that combines some features of each of the wireless and direct connect systems. This system, however, lacks the ability to integrate common area emergency calls, door alarms, and similar alarms and calls because signals are generated from the telephone through a telephone company and require a phone line connection.
Other drawbacks of similar prior art emergency call systems include a lack of system integration and the tracking of emergency calls, alarms, and proper databases for maintaining records. Additionally, an increased number of senior residents living in larger numbers of geographically spaced properties complicate different services associated with the systems, including administrative services, increased control, database upkeep, tracking, and report generation.
The present invention is advantageous and provides an emergency call system that integrates direct connect (hard-wired), wireless and telephony systems into one emergency call system. Thus, the disadvantages of using individual systems are minimized, while the advantages of each system can be advantageously used to maintain control over an entire emergency call system, while enhancing various functions, such as report generation.
An emergency call system includes at least one wireless receiver located at a property having a plurality of residences for receiving wireless alarm signals from resident pendants and reset signals from attendant pendants. A wireless device module is operatively connected to the at least one wireless receiver for determining identity of respective resident pendants and determining the response time in which an attendant has responded to an alarm signal from the resident pendant.
In one aspect of the present invention, a computer is operatively connected to the wireless device module and maintains a database of alarm events pertaining to any alarm and reset signals. The wireless alarm signals and reset signals from respective resident and attendant pendants are packets having identifiers for identifying the identity of a respective resident or attendant. A printer is operatively connected to the wireless device controller and prints a report of alarms and response times.